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Policy@Manchester Articles: Science and Engineering
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A critical question: what should we do with the UK’s plutonium stockpile?

By William Bodel Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: August 30, 2023

The UK is currently storing around 140 tonnes of plutonium, mostly arising from its civil nuclear programme over the past 60 years. What should we, as a nation, do with it? Should we use it as fuel for future reactors, or dispose of it as waste? The latest position paper from the Dalton Nuclear Institute […]

Tagged With: Business Energy & Industry, carbon reduction, Dalton, energy, environment, infrastructure, nuclear, science & engineering

Built on sand: the need for new environmental standards in the construction industry

By Judy Too and Obuks Ejohwomu Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: August 2, 2023

The building sector is responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions, and many policies have been introduced about the energy efficiency of buildings during their working life. However, little consideration has been given to the whole life of a building, from the production of materials to the disposal of old buildings. Here, Ms Judy Too […]

Tagged With: carbon reduction, climate change, consumption, energy, infrastructure, net zero, science & engineering, sustainability

Not immaterial: Why the UK must play to its strengths in quantum technology

By Richard Curry Filed Under: British Politics, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: April 14, 2023

The UK Science and Technology Framework has recently been announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with Quantum Technologies (QTs) identified as one of five critical technologies. But what is needed to realise this vision – and should the UK invest everywhere, or target its areas of expertise? Here, Professor Richard Curry outlines how the country […]

Tagged With: advanced materials, Business Energy & Industry, digital, Industry 4.0, innovation, Royce, science & engineering, technology

Sellafield nuclear plant

How can “Great British Nuclear” make a great difference?

Adrian Bull with beard By Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 31, 2023

The announcement of Great British Nuclear (GBN) is a long awaited positive step. GBN clearly now faces a monumental workload and a range of challenges as it sets the ground for new nuclear build in the UK. In this article, Professor Adrian Bull emphasises the need to engage with development companies rather than just ‘starting […]

Tagged With: Business Energy & Industry, Dalton Nuclear Institute, energy, government, great british nuclear, nuclear, nuclear energy, sustainability

Graphene institute building

Graphene as a regional-global innovation model

James Baker By James Baker Filed Under: British Politics, Budget, Growth and Inclusion, Levelling up, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: March 17, 2023

A new national policy report has identified the graphene innovation ecosystem at Manchester as a regional hub for international partnership and investment. In this article, James Baker explores how this success demonstrates that research and development (R&D) investment into specialist regional clusters like Graphene@Manchester provides national government with an excellent return on investment as they […]

Tagged With: Business Energy & Industry, economy, government, graphene, Greater Manchester, innovation, Levelling Up, technology

nuclear power pant by the sea

Location, location, location: finding sites for nuclear power plants

Adrian Bull with beard By Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 13, 2023

Expanding nuclear power should be a key priority as the government aims to cut its carbon emissions. However, finding suitable sites to accommodate the proposed plants raises new questions. In this article, based on the Dalton Nuclear Institute’s position paper, Siting implications of nuclear energy, Professor Adrian Bull gives his view on how policymakers can […]

Tagged With: carbon reduction, Dalton Nuclear Institute, energy, environment, government, net zero, nuclear, nuclear energy, nuclear power, nuclear skills, renewable energy

A swarm of asteroids in front of the Milky Way galaxy

Space rocks: the need for an international approach to space resource utilisation

photo of Katherine Joy wearing a black top By Katherine Joy and Thomas Harvey Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: February 13, 2023

Extraction of Earth’s resources is vital for the advancement of modern infrastructure and technology. However, Earth’s resources are limited, and their continued use for the expansion and growth of humanity has resulted in their depletion. Mining is often destructive, we have little control over the global distribution of economically viable reserves of rare materials, and […]

Tagged With: infrastructure, OnSpace, resources, space, technology

Busy commuters in station

A nuclear society: rebuilding perceptions of nuclear energy

Adrian Bull with beard By Adrian Bull Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: February 1, 2023

The nuclear industry has historically had a fairly tumultuous relationship with wider society. Early perceptions of nuclear energy were generally positive, with it viewed as a beacon of how technology went hand in hand with increasing prosperity. However, a history of highly-publicised leaks, discharges and assorted incidents have created a legacy of societal mistrust of […]

Tagged With: Dalton Nuclear Institute, net zero, nuclear, nuclear energy

Can geothermal energy provide a sustainable source of renewable heat in the UK?

By Cathy Hollis Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted: January 23, 2023

With the move towards sustainable, low carbon energy in the UK, alongside a need for long-term energy security, a range of renewable energy sources are under consideration by national and devolved governments in the UK. Some, like wind energy, are well-developed, while others have barely entered the public consciousness. One such source is geothermal energy. […]

Tagged With: carbon reduction, energy, environment, renewable energy, renewables, sustainability

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage – real-worlding emission estimates

Clair GoughAndrew WelfleAmanda Lea-Langton By Muir Freer, Clair Gough, Andrew Welfle and Amanda Lea-Langton Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, UK economy Posted: January 16, 2023

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) could play an important role in meeting the UK’s net zero emissions target according to the sixth carbon budget scenarios. However, there are many different ways BECCS could be deployed in the UK, and how that roll out is managed could make a big difference in terms of […]

Tagged With: BECCS, Business Energy & Industry, carbon reduction, CCS, climate change, energy, environment, Hydrogen, infrastructure, innovation, net zero, science & engineering, sustainability, technology, Tyndall Centre

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